Alaska Wildflowers | Purple and Blue
Pale gentian
Gentiana glauca
Common Names
alpine gentian
gentiane glauque
glaucus gentian
inky gentian
pale gentian
smooth alpine gentian
Synonyms
Dasystephana glauca
Gentiana glauca var. paulensis
Gentianodes glauca
Subspecies
none
Genus: Gentiana
Family: Gentianaceae
Order: Gentianales
full classification
Duration – Growth Habit
Perennial – Forb/herb
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Identification and Information
Pale gentian (Gentiana glauca) is a perennial forb/herb that grows from slender, creeping rhizomes. The solitary stems are erect, growing 3-15 cm tall. The plant has both basal and cauline leaves. The basal leaves are fleshy, elliptic to oval in shape, 1-2 cm long, and form a rosette. The stem leaves are smaller (0.5-1 cm long), growing opposite in pairs, and are egg-shaped.
The inflorescence is a terminal cluster of 3-5 short-stalked flowers. The tubular corollas are blue, greenish blue, or rarely yellowish-white, 1-2 cm long, and 5-lobed. The smaller calyx also has five lobes and is 5-7 mm long. The five stamens are shorter than the corolla tubes. The fruit is a 1-chambered capsule with numerous flattened seeds.
Uses
For information only (typically historical) – I take no responsibility for adverse effects from the use of any plant.
No traditional, medicinal, or culinary uses were found.
Distribution and Habitat
The range of Gentiana glauca is limited to northwestern North America, including Alaska, the Yukon, Northwest Territories, British Columbia, and Alberta. It is listed as imperiled in Washington State and Montana. It’s also found in western Siberia.
It lives in moist meadows, on the edges of woodlands, and in alpine zones.
Classification
| Rank | Scientific Name (Common Name) |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae (plantes, Planta, Vegetal, plants) |
| Subkingdom | Viridiplantae (green plants) |
| Infrakingdom | Streptophyta (land plants) |
| Superdivision | Embryophyta |
| Division | Tracheophyta (vascular plants, tracheophytes) |
| Subdivision | Spermatophytina (spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames) |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Superorder | Asteranae |
| Order | Gentianales |
| Family | Gentianaceae (gentians, gentianes) |
| Genus | Gentiana L. (gentian) |
| Species | Gentiana glauca Pall. (pale gentian) |
References and Further Reading
Guidebook
Pratt, Verna E. Alaskan Wildflowers. Anchorage: Alaskakrafts, Inc., 1989. Page 39.
Classification and Taxonomy
ITIS. (n.d.). Gentiana glauca. Retrieved February 18, 2024, from https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=29977#null
VASCAN. (n.d.). Gentiana glauca. Database of Vascular Plants of Canada (VASCAN). Retrieved February 18, 2024, from https://data.canadensys.net/vascan/taxon/5999?lang=en
USDA NRCS. (n.d.). Gentiana glauca. Plants Database. Retrieved February 18, 2024, from https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=GEGL
Uses
none
Map and Distribution
GBIF. (n.d.). Gentiana glauca. Retrieved February 18, 2024, from https://www.gbif.org/species/3170098
NatureServe Explorer. (n.d.). Gentiana glauca. Retrieved February 18, 2024, from https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.150328/Gentiana_glauca
Description and Information
E-Flora BC. (n.d.). Gentiana glauca. Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia. Retrieved February 18, 2024, from https://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Gentiana%20glauca
Montana Field Guide. (n.d.). Gentiana glauca. Retrieved February 18, 2024, from https://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=PDGEN060E0
